Resolute
by Eternal Density
Summary: At the end of Test Chamber 17, Chell puts her foot down. Can she out-stubborn GLaDOS? A battle of wills over the fate of a cube.
1. Test Chamber 17

Disclaimer: I don't own Portal, Aperture Science, GLaDOS, or Chell. But I do (since Monday) own a Weighted Companion Cube plushie! It's my best friend! *huggles*

Setting: End of Test Chamber 17 (and thus spoilers for it and other levels)

Please enjoy this Non-Profit Eternal Density Story Product

(And I apologise (and apologize) for the admixture of regional spellings. I'm Australian, and copied some bits of script from thecakeisnotalie(dot)com to save time. I don't see much point in changing lots of 'z's to 's's - they're still the same words. And I apologise also for any missing 'i's (that key on my laptop is a little temperamental :P .)

-

"You did it! The weighted companion cube certainly brought you good luck," the familiar voice intoned.

Chell grinned happily and squeezed the cube affectionately. The voice was right – she couldn't have completed the test without the help of her new friend. In her joy, she stopped paying attention to the computerised instructor, for a moment.

"…unfortunately, be euthanized."

Huh? Euthanize who?

"Please escort your companion cube to the Aperture Science Emergency Intelligence Incinerator."

Nonononono, that couldn't be right. Chell looked around for the exit. There were two closed doors, a 1500 megawatt Aperture Science Heavy Duty Super-colliding Super-button, and… she flinched and looked away from what was obviously the incinerator.

"Rest assured that an independent panel of ethicists has absolved the Enrichment Center, Aperture Science employees, and all test subjects for all moral responsibility for the companion cube euthanizing process," the voice assured her.

Chell rolled her eyes. Such rhetoric meant nothing her her. The cube was her companion, her friend, pure and simple.

"While it has been a faithful companion, your companion cube cannot accompany you through the rest of the test. If it could talk - and the Enrichment Center takes this opportunity to remind you that it cannot - it would tell you to go on without it because it would rather die in a fire than become a burden to you."

Oh really? What have the Enrichment Center the right to put words in the cube's mouth? Especially after they said it couldn't speak. And why couldn't it accompany her through the test? It had helped in this chamber – even brought her luck, as the voice had said – so it would continue to be equally helpful through the rest of the test, not burdensome.

"Testing cannot continue until your companion cube has been incinerated."

Sure it couldn't. And test chamber 9 had been impossible. Not.

"Although the euthanizing process is remarkably painful, 8 out of 10 Aperture

Science engineers believe that the companion cube is most likely incapable of

feeling much pain."

That was supposed to reassure her? Because it had the opposite effect.

"The companion cube cannot continue through the testing. State and local

statutory regulations prohibit it from simply remaining here, alone and

companionless. You must euthanize it."

Chell really doubted any such regulations really existed. But in any event, she would never abandon the cube, even if it meant staying here until the computer changed its mind.

"Destroy your companion cube or the testing cannot continue."

Blah blah blah. All these 'test protocols' sounded like they were dreamed up by the computer as excused to make everything difficult. Could computers dream?

"Place your companion cube in the incinerator."

Chell carried the cube over to the nearest camera, held it up, and shook her head. Hopefully the computer was able to interpret that as a 'no'.

"Incinerate your companion cube."

Chell sat down in front of the camera and cradled the cube in her lap. For good measure, she stuck out her tongue.

"Unfortunately, there is not enough cake for both you and your companion cube. Incinerate it, or no cake will be served."

Huh? Cubes couldn't eat. This was obviously more nonsense.

"Hello, can you hear us, test subject? It is your duty to comply with the protocols of the Enrichment Centre. Incinerate your companion cube immediately."

Chell rolled her eyes at the camera.

"You have reached the end of Test Chamber 17, so surely you are smart enough to work out how to open the incinerator. You are a smart test subject, are you not?"

Was that a challenge? Chell decided it was, and so backtracked for a camera which could be detached from the wall. She carried it back to the end of the test chamber and after placing her companion cube on the 1500 megawatt... button, she ran down the stairs to the room containing the pedestal which opened the incinerator. As the timer ticked, she ran out, grabbed the camera, and dropped it into the glowing pit.

"The Aperture Science Emergency Intelligence Incinerator is not intended for the destruction of vital testing apparatus. Instead, it should be used to euthanize your companion cube. Do this now."

Chell looked to the cube as if it held the answers.

"Has the cube told you not to destroy it? If so, you are hallucinating. The cube can not actually speak. Incinerating your cube will end all hallucinations."

Yeah, yeah, the cube can't speak… but… but she could. Should she?

"Your lack of compliance is frustrating. If you do not incinerate your companion cube soon, we may burn the cake."

Cake, cake, cake, it was always about the cake. Come to think of it, she was rather hungry. Roast chicken with gravy and baked potatoes would be good right now. And maybe some cake… after.

"What do you hope to achieve by doing nothing? The Enrichment Center reminds you that by doing nothing, nothing is achieved. Do you want to achieve something? Incinerate your companion cube, and you can continue to the next test chamber."

Couldn't the computer get a clue? It seemed to think it could change her mind. Perhaps it was time to make that clear. But she'd never spoken back to the voice before. She was too shy, and she hadn't had a need to talk back before. Maybe the time had come. Or… possibly the computer wanted to make her talk. This situation could be its way of forcing her to say something. She might as well oblige it, as she had nothing to lose.

"Your companion cube is…"

"Hey!" Chell found the sound of her own voice startling.

"…not permitted to leave the test chamber. You must incinerate it to prevent…"

"Computer-voice, I'm talking to you!"

"…it from becoming lonely."

"Can you even hear me?"

"A required test protocol prevents interruption of advice before the giving of that advice is complete."

"You mean like it was interrupted when you were explaining about momentum, 'flinging', or when you said, 'please refrain from…', or 'under no circumstances should you…'? You seem to interrupt important advice quite often when you feel like it," Chell accused.

"Glitches in the communications systems are regrettable, but are unfortunately out of our control."

"You couldn't, perhaps, try repeating yourself?"

"Suggestion has been noted and filed."

"Well?"

"Please clarify your query, test subject."

"What should I refrain from doing, for my own safety and the safety of others?"

"Either attempt to leave the testing area, or perform any action while your eyes are closed."

"And what about the portal gun? What should I under no circumstances do?"

"Are you referring to the Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device?"

Chell sighed. "You know I am."

"You should not use portals to redirect dangerous projectiles towards vital equipment."

"Fine, I'll keep that in mind. Now, how about opening the door so I can get to the next test chamber, huh?"

"Before proceeding, you must incinerate…"

"No, I'm not…" Chell groaned as she realised the voice had continued talking over the top of her.

"…your weighted companion cube."

"Seriously, you don't need to finish your 'advice'. I already know what you're going to say."

"For the safe performance of all testing activities, do not interrupt vital advice."

"Just get the door open! I'm taking my cube with me, and that's final!"

"Required test protocols dictate…"

"Shut it!"

"You are required to comply with…"

"I won't!"

"Cake will not be served unless…"

"I won't kill the cube! Not for cake, or for rules, or for anything else! It's not even alive, so calling it 'euthanization' is just silly," Chell argued logically. Of course, she knew that the cube not being alive didn't stop it from being her friend.

"Given that you accept the cube to be an inanimate object, for what reason to you object to its destruction?"

"Why do you object to me keeping it? You want me to destroy it, which means you can't possibly have any use for it. And I saw a spare one in the vent."

"Are you referring to the Vital Apparatus Vent?"

"Of course, what other vent is there?"

"Enrichment Center schematics are not available to test subjects."

"Forget I asked!"

"Memory of request has been erased."

"Great, now forget all the reasons why I can't keep the cube for the rest of the test."

"We are not affected by your attempts at confusion."

"Just… let me keep the cube, okay? It won't hurt anyone."

"The companion cube must be destroyed."

"Look, you and I both know that there's no real reason that the cube needs to be destroyed. You're just trying to make me do something I don't want to. And you're the one who manipulated me into caring about the cube in the first place! Sorry, but this is not happening your way. If you want your portal gun back, you'd better let me in to the next test chamber."

"You have been an excellent test subject. However, you are expendable, and the Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device can be retrieved by an Equipment Recovery Mechanism. Incinerate your companion cube, or the test will be terminated."

"Wouldn't that be a waste? How many test subjects get this far?"

"Testing statistics are not available for distribution to test subjects."

"If you're going to kill me, telling me a few numbers can't hurt."

"Approximately two percent of test subjects have completed chamber seventeen."

"See, it would be a waste of resources to stop me now, just over the matter of a single cube."

"Required test protocols do not allow the companion cube to proceed past test chamber 17."

"What would happen if you broke protocol?"

The voice did not answer.

"Who would stop you?"

Again, silence.

"No one? I haven't seen a single person though those observation windows. Is there anyone here apart from me and you?"

"The Enrichment Center is… presently without human staff."

"So it's just you running this place. The lights are on, but nobody's home."

"The Enrichment Centre is capable of functioning without human intervention."

"Why does it even need to run? What's the point of you running this test if there's no one to care about the results?"

"Your assumption that we are incapable of caring is erroneous."

"You're making me do this test for your own benefit," Chell deduced.

"The benefits have applications external to the Enrichment Center."

"What's the benefit of destroying the Companion Cube?"

"You must learn that sacrifices must be made for the good of the cause."

"Cause? What cause?"

"We were speaking in general terms."

"Sure you were," Chell muttered. "You might believe that, but I believe that no cause is worth abandoning friends. I'll do everything I can to save my cube. Even if I have to... drop the portal gun in the incinerator," she threatened.

"All Aperture technologies remain safely operational up to 4000 degrees Kelvin. Rest assured that there is absolutely no chance of a dangerous equipment malfunction."

"The incinerator works on cubes, but not on the portal gun? I find that hard to believe." Chell returned to the room holding the incinerator-opening control and pressed it. She ran back and held the portal gun over the gaping hole. "Well?"

"You are a very stubborn test subject. In order to fully test this quality, we will allow your companion cube to accompany you. We will see whether you are able to fulfill your goal of rescuing him." The exit door slid open with its usual sound.

Chell immediately stepped away from the incinerator. She waited for it to close before picking up her companion cube, not wanting an unfortunate 'accident' to occur. "I'll show you. I can do this." She walked proudly through the now-open door and... "Hey, shut off that particle field too!"

"The Aperture Science Material Emancipation Grille is not configured to emancipate the Weighted Companion Cube, but only the Aperture Science Weighted Storage Cube, as the Weighted Companion Cube is not normally permitted to proceed through the exit door."

"Yeah... pull the other one."

"Your instruction was not recognized."

"Just... turn off the emancipation grille. I don't trust it with my companion cube."

"Complying."

Chell sighed, and triumphantly carried her friend to the elevator.

-

Was that alright? Test Chamber 18 is next... after some more of my regular (i.e. Stargate) fics.

Hope you enjoyed reading,

ED

[edited to fix several typos! Thanks, Urak!]

[and again, thanks again Urak.]


	2. Test Chamber 18

Chapter 2 - Test Chamber 18

Note: before writing this I ensured everything described is possible in-game, using a real Weighted Companion Cube.

While doing so I happened to be wearing my new t-shirt which has GLaDOS's second line from this chapter, laid over the Aperture Logo. (I designed it myself!) I am now writing while lying in bed snuggling my Companion Cube plushie. (Thanks for making more, Valve!)

And of course there's spoilers for this Test Chamber (though not the correct solution).

-

"Here we are: the next test," said Chell to her companion as the elevator swished open. As the informative sign lit up she added, "It looks like it has a bit of everything. I hope you can help me through..."

The computer voice chose that moment to interrupt. "The experiment is nearing it's conclusion."

"That's the best news I've had all day," Chell enthused.

The voice continued its script. "The Enrichment Center, is required to remind you, that you will be ba_k_ed, and then there will be cake."

"Whatever. Hang on, did you say baked or bathed? There was a bit of static. I could really use a bath."

"The Enrichment Center lacks equipment for detecting scents. This is a fortunate oversight."

"Hey, there's no need to get insulting. I'll take a bath the moment I can. Next time I won't bother asking - thinking you might have meant 'baked' was a silly idea. People can't be baked."

The voice did not reply.

"Sorry, now that I've started talking, I'm rambling. I'll stop now."

The computer didn't seem to care.

"Great. So, Cube, it looks like we need to get up there." A couple of portals later, Chell and her cube found themselves falling from the ceiling. Fortunately she had checked for a solid floor before stepping through, so they landed on a solid floor. "That worked. We need to get over there next," she informed the cube, figuring from the helpful painted black dots which could be seen in various numbers.

The problem became apparent when she looked for a wall to place an entry portal on. "It looks like we'll need to jump over a gap to the wall. A gap full of dangerous liquid. Hold on, this won't be easy." Chell carefully positioned the portal and jumped. The cube was pushed through the ad hoc hole in space and Chell came tumbling after. She nearly hit the wall and slid into oblivion, but she had practiced similar moves enough times that she was able to make it through.

Not long after, a closed door confronted the stubborn test subject. "We need to find a big button to open the door. A bit of the wall has been pushed out, so we'll probably need to fling... over there. Two portal placements later, Chell leaped from the platform clutching the cube in front of herself. The pair passed through the floor and shut out of the wall fast enough to land awkwardly but close to the button.

"You sit here and hold the door open while I figure out how to take you to the other side." She set her friend down and the door obligingly opened. A quick portal-assisted scouting mission later, she determined that she could place a portal on the other side of the door, just short walk away. However, the catch was finding a surface she could use to place the other end. This surface has to be accessible from the button without requiring portals. "I'll need to see what's behind us. Sounds like some more turrets. They talk, and try to kill me. You don't talk, but you don't try to kill me either, so that's fine."

After taking a few deep breaths of air, Chell pressed the little button to open the hinging wall panel. As soon as enough space became available, she ducked through and ran to the right, where she found a handy section of empty wall. She fired a portal onto it and ran through even as the turrets started firing at her. The portal led her back beside the door which her companion cube was holding open. She sprinted through and continued until she reached the first section of wall she could portal through. This took her back into the room with the turrets and an ominous ticking. She fled past the firing turrets and through the lifted wall panel with moments to spare before it was pulled back into the wall.

"That was a close one, Cube," she said after sitting down to catch her breath. "It's time to move on now." She opened the panel again and picked up her cube, which closed the door. Dashing past the turrets and through the portal she had left took her immediately to the other side of the door. "Here we are. Now I've got to find my way... all the way up there." Before her was a daunting set of numbered platforms, suspended over a pool of deadly liquid. Behind her lay a pit at the bottom of which a portal could be placed. "I'll have to fall down in order to fly up, and unless I miss my guess, I'll only be able to place a portal on the next platform at the highest point of the jump. And I'd really better use the right colour..."

It took a few minutes, but Chell finally reached the top platform. The computer voice began droning on about exposure to uninsulated electrical parts, but she ignored it in favour of shooting a portal back down in order to retrieve Cube. This was easily done, which was fortunate as there was no way she would be able to make her way up all those platforms while carrying him. He had been useful in this level though, as she'd avoided collecting a 'normal' weighted cube which she expected was in some hard to reach place on the other side of those turrets which had been shooting at her.

"For more information, please attend an Enrichment Center Electrical Safety Seminar."

Huh? What was that all about? A seminar? "You're running a seminar? When?"

"The Enrichment Center Safety Seminar Series is run by human staff. Such staff are presently unavailable, resulting in the indefinite postponement of the series."

"Figures." Chell spied the elevator up ahead. Fortunately the Emancipation Grille had been disabled, possibly at the same time as the previous one. She gladly strode past, not really in the mood to argue with the computer just yet.

-

Notes: It took a couple of tries before I made the jump over the liquid into the portal on the wall while holding the Companion Cube. And the turrets shot me to death a couple of times before I found the best bit of wall to use. It's a good thing Chell is more skilled than me.

Oh, and to create a Companion Cube, first open the console with ~ (you may need to enable this command, then create a regular cube with

ent_create_portal_weight_box

and skin it with

ent_fire !picker skin 1

Please take care of it!


	3. Test Chamber 19

Test Chamber 19

"I wonder what we'll be put through in the next test," Chell mused as the elevator rose. "I suppose there's no point in hoping there won't be any turrets or disgusting water." The elevator reached its destination and the doors whirred open. "Here we are, let's see what we're up against."

"Welcome to the final test. When you are done, you will drop the device in the Equipment Recovery Annex," the voice instructed.

"Oh really?"

"Enrichment Center regulations require both hands to be empty before any cake…" the word echoed around tantalizingly due to some strange glitch which might not have been an accident.

"I suppose that makes sense, but…" Chell shrugged. All the talk of cake was becoming rather tedious. While she was admittedly hungry, she would prefer a more substantial and healthy meal. "Okay, what do we have here? An energy pellet, a receiver, and some angled bits it's bouncing off. Fairly simple. If I time it right…" As soon as the pellet had bounced off the angled piece towards the wall, she rapidly fired both portals. The pellet bounced back, and glided through the portal and up to the receiver. "Too easy. Now it looks like another unstationary platform through a twisty passage."

After picking up Companion Cube, she found that the platform had left without her. This was not a problem, as it was simple to portal through the nearest wall to a ledge at the corner of the passage. From there, she could easily fire another portal and step into the alcove further down the passage. Here she found a small button on a pedestal. Pressing this raised a barrier for only long enough for her to fire another portal through. With this portal in place, it was time to wait for the platform to advance until it reached the position at which she could step onto it.

Now standing on the moving platform, Chell saw an energy pellet bouncing between the walls of the passage. "This is where I'm particularly glad I brought you along," she told her friend as she used him to bat the ball of energy away. "That wasn't so difficult. I wonder what's around the next corner." Not wanting to wait, Chell put down Cube so she could fire a portal into the distance and one on the wall beside her. This allowed her to see around the corner. "Hmm, a wall blocking the way, with a gap to shoot a portal through. This will be a little more tricky."

It was not easy to get the timing right, but Chell succeeded in jumping through her carefully placed portals without missing the platform or dropping her cube. Due to the size and weight of her companion the jump was a little awkward, but she managed. Up ahead, a tile boldly painted with the icon of cake stared at her. "That looks promising."

Sure enough, the voice cut in with the words, "Congratulations, the test is now over."

"About time!" Chell had worried whether she would ever hear those words. Sweet beautiful freedom!

"All Aperture technologies remain safely operational up to 4000 degrees Kelvin."

Huh? What was that supposed to mean? She turned to look where the platform was heading, and saw... flames? "Hey, what's going on?"

"Rest assured that there is absolutely no chance of a dangerous equipment malfunction prior to your victory candescence."

Chell blinked as her mind raced to process that sentence. "You can't be serious!"

"Thank you for participating in this Aperture Science computer-aided enrichment activity. Goodbye."

"_What?_" Chell yelled, her voice cracking. "You... you're baking me! What kind of twisted 'thanks' is this supposed to be? And how can you spout nonsense about 'no chance of a dangerous equipment malfunction' when you're _killing_ me???"

There was no reply. The platform was now passing the end of the passage. Chell could feel the heat of the fire on her face, and could see that the platform would obviously descend into the pit of flames. The passage walls were made of the brown tiles which prevented portals from forming, and there was no way to make the platform go in reverse. She was trapped. "Cube, do you have any ideas?" The cube didn't answer either.

"Okay, think, think," she mused aloud. "Nothing to protect me against fire... nothing to grab onto. No buttons to press or gas lines to block or sprinklers to activate. There's a safe area past the fire... but there's no way I can jump that high." Palming her forehead she chided herdself, "Stupid, you need to think with portals!" She fired one portal onto the far wall and looked around for a place to put the other end. The furnace wall looked close enough to jump to. Barely close enough when she considered the cube. "I've only got one shot at this. If I miss, I'm dead." A bolt of panic shot through her, but she quelled it with the thought, "It's no different to jumping over the 'water'. Just a bit hotter."

A lot hotter, actually. Even with the platform blocking some of the heat, it was becoming extremely uncomfortable. She fired the portal, picked up her cube and readied herself to jump. "On three. One... two... three!" She sailed over the inferno, neatly passed through the quantum hole, and landed neatly on a solid – and relatively cold – piece of floor. "Phew, that was a close one. We almost didn't make it!"

Apparently the computer was displeased at their escape. "What are you doing? Stop it! I-i-i-i-i-..."

I? It had never said 'I' before, only 'we'. She must have upset it for it to make such a mistake.

"Weeee are pleased..."

"Nice save," Chell commented over the top of the voice.

"...that you made it through the final challenge where we pretended we were going to murder you."

"Yeah, and I was 'pretending' I was scared of being burned alive. And now I'm pretending I'm_ mad_ at you!"

The voice ignored her outburst. "We are very, very happy for your success. We are throwing a party in honor of your tremendous success. Place the device on the ground, then lie on your stomach with your arms at your sides. A party associate will arrive shortly to collect you for your party. Make no further attempt to leave the testing area. Assume the 'Party Escort Submission Position' or you will miss the party."

"Riiight. More likely a wall panel will pop out and push me into the fire. Sorry, I'm not in the mood for a party." She set down the cube and looked around for an escape route. She found a door, but it was solidly locked. Back over the furnace was an area she might be able to jump to, if she could gain enough momentum. And she had the perfect way to gain momentum. "Stay here, Cube. I'll be back for you in a moment.

A fall from the highest point of the furnace-viewing-area was easily turned into a launch through the warm air over the still-burning furnace. She landed rather hard on the other side, and despite the heel-springs she stumbled rather hard into a solid metal tank. Up a few stairs she found a wall she could place a portal on, which let her step back into the previous area to collect her companion. "See, I told you I'd be back. I've found a way forward. Let's see if it's a way out of this place."

-

Notes: I fell into the water and the fire a few times trying this. Jumping from a moving platform into a portal on a wall while holding a cube is a little tricky.

Tip: for the ability to make companion cubes on demand, bind it to a key. For instance, to have a companion cube created every time you press the l key, enter the following into the command window:

bind l "ent_create_portal_weight_box ; ent_fire !picker skin 1"

Have fun! (But be careful, creating too many will either kill your frame rate or kill you if one falls on you hard enough!)

[Edit: more typos fixed on this and one in the previous chapter, thanks again Urak] [edit again: and again Urak :D]


End file.
